A Cry in the Dying Light
by Six-string Samurai
Summary: Two weeks after the effects of the Millennium Virus ravaged Japan, a small group takes it upon themselves to close the gate to the underworld that was unwittingly opened. Multiseries Anime Crossover with Megami Tensei.
1. Prologue

All MegaTeni references, and characters, are copyright Atlus. Other characters are copyright their respective owners, to be mentioned as they may occur. A fanfiction by Six-string Samurai

_The fires burned raggedly leaping up to consume more and more of Loan's ancestral home. Just beyond the stone walls that marked the edge of the property, stood the young man, refusing to turn away from the glow despite the fluttering in his stomach urging him to do so. No, he would wait until nothing remained but ash and memory, just in case. Besides, the heat and light would drive most of them away. It was small reassurance, and even less of a respite, but after the last few hours, the longhaired shaman would take what he could get._

_Late into the night, the once proud home burned, until only faint embers remained reflected in the glasses of the sole surviving Nemuri._

_Once he was assured that the job was done, Loan reached down to pick up the small pack that he'd prepared earlier that evening. Giving the strap that held a rolled tatami-mat atop the pack a sure tug, he hefted it up with a faint grunt. Clasping his hands together in a final prayer, he bowed three times before taking his leave; the steady clip of wooden sandals echoing down the twilit-street the only sign of his departure._

_Izumo was a long ways away._

"A Cry in the Dying Light"

_The man in the moon / Has become homeless / Rain clouded night_

_-Matsuo Bashō_

A Prologue

_January 6__th__, 2001. Tottori, Japan_

Pushing wet strands of hair from his face, Loan muttered a faint curse for the hundredth time since the skies had opened earlier that afternoon. The deluge had finally slowed to a sprinkle, but having past the last roadside bus stop two hours ago he was at quite a loss for suitable shelter from the elements. The shrine at Izumo was still far by foot, and so he pressed on. Besides, he'd likely have company soon, and the open road was a more ideal place as such, even if the weather wasn't on his side.

He didn't have long to wait. With the setting of the sun, two of the little bastards caught up to him a few kilometers later, just when he spotted a farm in the distance. Even out in the open, the smell of rotten meat hit him long before the telltale pitter-patter of tiny limbs scrambling through the rice-field. _Gaki._ii

Stepping back to the opposite side of the road, he shrugged off the heavy pack, letting it fall to the cracked asphalt. Gaki were small, weak and stupid, but what they lacked in intelligence, they made up for in speed. Reaching one hand into the folds of his hakama, he fingered a mostly dry sheaf of wards. Risking a look downward, he noted the ink thankfully hadn't smudged, yet.

As one, the little abominations made themselves known, their twisted little purple bodies leaping out of the muck to scramble onto the road a few meters away. The closest one to him shook its head sideways in 

a jangling fashion, clicking and chortling something to its companion in their strangled language. It must've been something funny, because the other Gaki grinned and strangled out a laugh, swishing its tiny bald head. The rusty metal rings in its ears clinked together in time with the wet choked laughter. Just as he decided to take advantage of their little discussion, they came at him, gibbering and clawing.

Loan barely managed to get a ward up in time as the first one leapt toward his face, but he did, and plastered the thin slip of paper to the back of its head as he dodged to the side. Scrambling sideways in an effort to keep the tiny demons in front of him, he fished out another ward. Ignoring its fallen comrade, the remaining Gaki gnashed its teeth and scrabbled for his legs. On the ground behind it, the fallen demon writhed and convulsed, motes of light sparked where the ward was stuck to its skin.

The second one gave the long-haired shaman a bit more trouble, proving to be a much more agile opponent, obviously more wary now that its companion was down. It continued to avoid Loan's wards and had left the shaman with a few shallow scratches for his trouble. But eventually one lunge was a bit slower than previous and it too, fell screaming and snarling to the muddy roadside, quickly succumbing to the effects of the Hama imbued Ofuda, sundering the demon's hold on the earthly plane.

As the demons dispersed Loan took the time to catch his breath before retrieving his pack. Taking a rest at the farmhouse was beginning to sound better by the minute.

* * *

The bedraggled shaman set his pack down in the darkened kitchen and set about making himself comfortable. He'd let himself in through a window on the second floor after giving the farmhouse a once over to assure that no one was home. He'd pretty much doubted that would find anyone around, even out away from the urban area. Surprisingly the home had been in good condition, and he hadn't found any sign of a struggle, or other damage for that matter.

But, the place had clearly been abandoned as the remains of a meal sat uneaten on the table in the living room. He'd checked all the rooms, just in case, and had found most of the closets half-empty, as well as the cabinets in the kitchen. This far out, the family had obviously had plenty of time to evacuate. That was all well and good for him; he could spend the night resting instead of with one eye open, after he got something decent to eat.

Fumbling with the wet strap that bound the tatami he'd brought, he finally succeeded in unbundling it and set it vertically on the kitchen floor. Kneeling next to the roll, Loan clapped his hands twice and leaned forward until his face was almost touching the woven surface. "Maki," he whispered softly. "Maki, it's time to get up."

The shaman sat back on his heels once he heard a small acquiescent sigh. The tatami unrolled slightly until it formed a cone. From the impossibly dark shadow inside the cone-shaped mat a little girl's face blinked sleepily. "Mm, can't I sleep a little longer, Loan?" Maki rubbed her eyes with a small pale fist, even as her other hand started to pull the corners of the tatami closer around her body.

The shaman shook his head in mild amusement, "You've been asleep for two days it's past time to get up. Besides, we're not at home right now, and I've got some work for you."

Maki blinked and widened the mat a little to get a better look around, almost as if she didn't believe him. "Oh, this is a good house, Loan! Are we gonna stay here?"

"Only for tonight. I thought it would be best to rest a bit before we hit the mountains."

The pale face gave a little nod in understanding.

"There's plenty to work with around here, so if you could whip up a little something for dinner, that'd be great." The shaman gestured down at his sodden clothes, "I'm going to go get cleaned up in the meantime."

Maki gave a little smile glad to finally have something to do. Back home, the Nemuri's hardly ever let her do her job properly. "Okay Loan! I'll give it my best!" The small Zashikiiii spun around a couple of times to get a good feel for the kitchen, and got down to work.

Loan smiled to himself at Maki's evident enthusiasm and scooped up his pack, as he headed to the bath.

Fed and dry, the bespectacled Nemuri allowed himself to relax in the living room. He'd already taken the precaution of warding the two major entry points to the house, and Maki had long since attuned to the building, so he really wasn't too concerned with anything making a visit unannounced. All in all, it was a welcome change to the past few hectic days. Something had happened New Year's day, and even though his father was no longer with him, Loan would heed the old man's advice. The demons had made the journey from Yomi to the mortal realm, but they couldn't have done it on their own. Someone had to have opened one of the Gates, and the only one in Japan was sealed away within the shrine at Izumo.

Still, he couldn't afford to be completely lax, and as such, was bundled in a layer of blankets on the couch to ward off the chill. Maki had wanted to start up a fire in the heater to warm the floor, but Loan had decided against using any lights in the house, in order to keep away potentially curious eyes. Not that bathing in the dark had been the highlight of his day, but sacrifices had to be made.

The Zashiki had raised an uncomfortable question in the middle of dinner. And Loan had waffled, not really wanting to answer. He knew full well that Maki tended to be rather emotional when it came to family, and as much as she deserved to know the truth, Loan wasn't ready to dwell on it, much less talk about it with someone else. Even if Maki amounted to the only family he had left, especially then.

Maybe he'd try before they made it to the shrine; if anything that gave him plenty of time to sort it all out in his head. With that he rolled over to lie down and try to rest.

The night passed into early morning without further incident, and the two occupants of the borrowed home readied for the day.

"Loan, do we have to go so soon? I'm just getting comfortable," the child-like house spirit made a show of pouting.

"Hey, don't start that now. We've been over this already, twice now as a matter of fact," the shaman responded with a small shake of his head as he finished re-packing his belongings.

"But, Lo-oan, it's still raining! Can't we wait just a bit?"

Loan's glasses flashed as his hand shot out to snag the edge of Maki's tatami. "And the longer we stay here, the worse it's going to get out there, you know that. I don't like being out in the wet anymore than you, trust me, but if I stick around here too long, more than just a few Gaki are going to find us."

"I'm not scared of any stupid purple mhm-," she was cut off as he yanked on the mat, rolling it up with practiced ease.

"That's what you said last time; remember where I found you hiding?"

The tatami roll went limp in his arms as he packed it away.

"That's what I thought," he chuckled as he made sure the mat was secure and in no danger of unfurling. Loan glanced out the front window, to make sure there were no surprises lying in wait. The grass was silent and the path leading to the dirt road was empty.

"It looks clear. But, I wouldn't bet on it staying that way for long. Besides, I don't want to overstay our welcome." He shouldered the pack. "Come on; let's see how far we can get before sundown."

The door swung open with a click and a whisper, bathing the entryway in the bright morning glow. There wasn't a cloud in the sky from last night's rain, but Loan just shook his head. If anything, this was the calm before the real storm began.

* * *

Author's Notes: As I began writing the first chapter, I realized that the previous version of the prologue was missing something. Rather, it read as if I were just cutting out in the middle of an event, so taking that into consideration, I decided to flesh out the beginning into lengthier piece. I've re-written this bit, and shall be posting the previous first chapter as a separate entry, making this story more episodic in nature, as opposed to a continuous effort.

I've decided to change the name of Loan's Zashiki-warashi from "Hotaru" to "Maki" to avoid character confusion with the series "Bishoujou Senshi Sailor Moon."

Also, due to the heavy Megami Tensei influence, and mythology in general, I will include a small reference to creatures and places that may be unfamiliar to some, in later chapters.

i Megami Tensei / Shin Megami Tensei. Popular PC/Console Role-playing Games dealing with themes of reincarnation, the apocalypse and demonic occupation of the world.

ii Gaki is the Japanese equivalent of the Hindi malevolent spirit known as Preta in the world of MegaTen.

iii Zashiki-Warashi, a Japanese household spirit that is both benevolent and tricky. The Zashiki are often childish in nature and appearance. Though they bring fortune to the house they reside in, if they leave, or are chased out, the household generally suffers for it and falls into disarray and poverty.


	2. Chapter One

All MegaTen references, and characters, are copyright Atlus. Ii Hito is copyright Shin Takahashi, published by Shogakukan. Other characters are copyright their respective owners, to be mentioned as they may occur.

"A Cry in the Dying Light"

_Should I take it in my hand / it would disappear with my hot tears / like the frost of autumn._

_-Matsuo Bashō_

Episode One – Once Upon a Midnight Clear

_January 1__st__, 2001. Tokyo, Japan_

Nakaido Chie woke up with a grimace, nursing a horrendous headache. She felt a little woozy, and after gingerly probing through her hair at the immediate source of pain, discovered a rather sizable lump. She prayed she didn't have a concussion. Grabbing the edge of the desk she'd likely hit, the Lightex HR Manager attempted to get her feet back under her. The last thing she remembered had been taking down the decorations from the office party…

"_Hey, Nakaido-san, everyone's pretty much done in the other room. Where do you think we should put the bags," a slightly stuffy voice piped up from behind Chie, who had started to climb up on a chair to reach for the streamers. Chie half-turned toward the owners of the voice it was Yamada from accounting. She sighed, while it had been nice of him to stay after and offer his help, he'd all but followed her around like a lost puppy most of the night._

_It wasn't that she had anything against him personally or professionally for that matter. The man was just, well, not her type, or all that remarkable really. And he was out of shape. Not horribly so, but a tad too round for her taste. She couldn't just turn him down either, since he'd never gotten around to actually asking her out, or making a move one way or the other. Yamada was just sort of here and there popping up when she least expected._

"_Nakaido-san…"_

"_Ah, sorry, go ahead and put them in the hall for now. We'll let the janitor know on the way out. I don't want the girls to go down that alley this late."_

_Yamada made a little noise of assent, but didn't make as if to leave._

_Chie steadied herself on the chair, and turned to start taking down the decorations. She could feel him still staring up at her, and it made her a little self-conscious. At least she wasn't wearing a mini skirt this time. Behind her, she could hear Yamada start to walk away. Hopefully he'd gotten the hint._

_In the other room, a few of the girls were laughing raucously at some joke Chie couldn't quite catch. She knew at least half of the office had gotten themselves good and drunk, so it probably didn't have to be a really funny joke to set them off. "Ladies, if everything is all cleaned up in there, go ahead and call down to security and let them know we're ready to call it a night."_

_A chorus of 'yes ma'am's floated back to her causing her to roll her eyes in mild amusement. The girls sounded like they were making fun of her again. Honestly, she wasn't that much older than most of the new Lightex employees, even if it felt like it most of the time. Five years at a company wasn't that long was it?_

_She'd gotten three fourths of the streamers down when one of the OL's leaned into the room._

"_Miss Nakaido? Me and the other girls, we're ready to go whenever you are."_

_Chie pulled another piece down, and turned as much as she dared on the wobbly chair. "I'm about done. Go ahead and head down and call a cab. I'll be there in a few minutes."_

"_Alright, I'll let them know," the girl, one of the recent hires if Chie wasn't mistaken, gave a little smile. "Thanks for getting the higher-ups to approve the party this year. We had a lot of fun!" She laughed a little and disappeared back around the doorframe to tell the others._

_The HR Manager felt a small smile of her own forming. It was good to know she was appreciated now and again._

_Suddenly, a sound like thunder cracked outside the shaded office windows, followed by a strange buzzing sound from the ceiling that drew her eyes upward. The lights flickered twice before snapping off with a faint hum. Thrust into darkness, a twinge of vertigo hit and Chie could see herself falling in her mind's eye just before she lost her balance._

"_Shit," the words barely escaped her lips before a prickly flower of pain blossomed just behind her eyes, dropping her into an even deeper night._

OoOoOoO

Chie took a peek out into the dimly lit hallway; it looked empty and barren in the harsh glow of the emergency lights. Had the girls already gone down to the security office? Why wasn't the power back on yet?

She reached for her phone, and found the service bars were gone. Sighing, she flipped the phone shut, she'd just switched over to the Au PHS service too since most of the company seemed to be using it recently.

"Kanami? Riho…Miwa? Come on, this isn't funny."

She waited a moment before calling out again, though there was still no response. They better not have left without me; she fumed, wincing as the throbbing in her head increased for her trouble.

Well, she wasn't going to wait forever, not when everyone was probably waiting for her down by the front doors. Maybe one of them had an aspirin.

The hallway was silent save for the pad of her heels on the carpet and the faint hum of the battery powered halogens in the recessed lighting. Thankfully, the offices that she'd managed to wrangle for the party weren't too far from the building's main elevator.

"Damn it!" Chie jabbed the call button a few times out of frustration. The button was lit, but the elevator wasn't coming. "This is ridiculous, I'm not taking the stairs," she groaned, wishing not for the first time that the HR department wasn't on the fifteenth floor.

She looked around for a sign pointing to the stairwell on this floor, but didn't see one close by. Like most other Lightex employees, Chie had rarely ever used the stairs in the building, other than the small steps leading into Lightex itself. Well, there was that one time, she recalled, glancing down at her heels.

The stairwell was more of a fire escape really, and she'd broken a good pair of high-heels trying to make it to a meeting. Chie frowned, it was her shoes or her stockings, one or the other would surely be ruined by the time she got down from the stairs.

Pushing open the door to the fire escape, Chie held up her other hand to fend off the sudden gust of wind that whipped her long brown hair into her face. Moving out onto the landing, the wind died down a little once she let the door shut behind her. Reaching for the handrail after getting her hair somewhat under control, she let out an involuntary gasp.

Something was very wrong with the sky she saw through the gap in the tall buildings around Lightex. It was a cloudless night, and supposedly a full moon, so there was plenty of light. And therein lay the problem. She could see the moon, but it was far too big, and hung much to low in the sky casting a hazy azure light down over Tokyo. Was it the moon?

"What's going on?" The manager's knees started to weaken, but she caught herself on the railing. Chie found she was reaching for the door, then changed her mind and scrabbled for the phone in her purse.

The service bars were still empty. Her eyes were invariably drawn back to the luminous blue in the night sky. Somehow the light didn't seem as strong as before, though it left her head throbbing if she stared directly at it for too long. It wasn't a very clear feeling, but blue or not, the soft light was just, wrong.

Shaking her head as if to clear it, Chie found her footing again, and that's when she noticed it. The sense of wrongness wasn't completely due to the strange light in the sky, but rather more earthbound. Tokyo, it was too quiet. Even in the early hours, there was a tension to the city, a thrum of life and activity. As she took a better look around, it appeared that Lightex wasn't the only building running off of a backup generator.

Not that she could see very far, but what little she saw of the business district was unlit, save for the eerie wash of blue.

She had to get down and find the others, make sure everything else was fine.

When Chie made it around to the front of the building, a completely empty street greeted her, there were a few lights off in the distance, but everything nearby was dark. There was no taxi waiting, or any of her co-workers for that matter. This had to be a dream. That was it; she'd fallen and knocked herself out, and just hadn't woken up yet.

But, if that were true, why was her head still throbbing. Her feet weren't feeling much better after having walked down several flights of cold iron stairs barefoot. At least it wasn't cold enough to snow this year. Still, she pulled her coat around herself a little tighter as she started to sit on the front steps of the building to decide where to go.

"Miss Manager!" a voice called out from behind Chie startling her, and she whipped around. There was a faint crack.

Turning to stand, she saw the OL's that had stayed behind all clustered together just inside the doors to Lightex. One of them was calling to her through the slit in between the glass partitions.

"Nakaido-san," one of the others called. "How'd you get out there?"

Chie made to step forward and ended up sprawled across the top of the stairs. Picking herself up, she brushed herself off and tried to stand back up, almost falling again once she put weight on her right foot.

"You've got to be joking," she regarded the broken heel, now she knew what that sound had been. Maybe she could fix it. Taking her shoe off for the second time, she stumped over to the front doors. "Where's the security guard? Or the janitor?"

The girl at the door just shrugged.

"Where's Yamada? I told him to get the janitor," the manager spoke.

"He's back there," the girl indicated with a tilt of her head. "We all looked, but no one else is here."

Chie huffed, "Well, I don't have a key either. Just go out the fire escape, that's what I had to do since the elevators weren't working."

The girls listening on the other side all made faces, and started whining that they hadn't thought of something so obvious.

"Hurry up, I don't like standing out here in the cold all by myself."

They quickly left the doors, and she lost sight of them once they passed the giant Lightex shoe statue.

Soon, seven Lightex employees were gathered outside the building, mostly staring up at the strange phenomena in the sky.

"What do you think it is," one of the girls, Riho, asked.

Jun, who was in the same division as the short curly-haired girl, responded, "It's the moon, right?"

"The moon isn't supposed to be blue like that!"

"Well, you tell me then. It's nighttime, that thing is round and obviously shining light down on us. People call that the moon, you know."

"But, if that's the moon, where's the moon bunny?"

"The moon bunny, what are you… Hey, where is the moon bunny?" Jun squinted into the azure.

Chie covered her face with a hand in exasperation. "Look I know it's weird, and all, but I asked if anyone's phone had reception? Did one of you try and call a cab," she glanced down the empty street. "Or the police?"

She was rewarded with two hurt looks, two drunken stupors, Yamada's sad round face, and a glare from her one part-time friend Kanami.

It was the latter that broke the sudden silence. "Chie, the fire escape was a little goof, we know, but what do you think the first thing we tried was?" She pulled out her little company phone. "The batteries are good, but none of us could get a signal. Not even one bar," she pocketed the useless phone.

"So, what do we do now? I don't think any of us live in walking distance. If the power's out, then the trains probably aren't running either," Chie prompted.

Riho piped up, "Me and Jun live that way," she pointed toward the area where city lights sparkled faintly on the horizon.

Yamada made a noise, "I'm in the opposite direction."

The others made similar comments, which put Chie at odds. She fiddled with the broken heel of her shoe, flipping it back and forth. And it occurred to her. "Okay, how about we head down to the police station; it's just a couple of blocks from here. The trains aren't that much further, so we can find out what's going on, and someone can check to see if the JR is running."

"What about your foot?" Kanami interjected.

"Huh," Chie was puzzled, and then she realized she was still holding her shoe. It was true; she really didn't want to walk around in her stocking if she could help it. Belatedly she noticed her toes were already numbing from the cold.

"Maybe you could borrow a pair from the stock room?"

Nakaido regarded Yamada oddly. She hadn't figured he would make such a bold suggestion. From the stares the others gave him, it seemed the feeling was mutual.

"It was just an idea. You can bring them back in the morning. I mean, if we re-sell them after customers wore them, what's the difference?"

The round little man did have a point. Of course, it still felt wrong, like stealing. But, it wasn't like she was going to be taking a walking tour of Tokyo. A short stroll down to the police station would hardly put visible wear and tear on the merchandise. If it came right down to it, she would just pay for them when she came back to work in the morning. Yes, that way it would be fine. She didn't need to lose any sleep over it or anything.

Chie made up her mind. "I'll be right back."

* * *

It wasn't very far from the Lightex building when they encountered the first one.

The group had been walking for about three blocks, and as Chie rounded the corner to the next street, she pulled up short, with Kanami nearly plowing straight into her back.

"Watch where you're going-," Kanami hissed, but was cut off rudely by Chie's hand clamping over her mouth.

"Shh, there's something in the street." Chie's words came out low and quick.

"Uh, w-what is that thing?" Kanami took the opportunity to peek around her friend's shoulder at whatever had pulled the other woman up short.

Chie and Kanami, joined by a bevy of curious faces, found them staring, horrified at what looked like something straight out of a v-cinema.

The thing in question was a bit larger than a grown man, easily topping the stout Yamada, both in bulk and stature. But that's where the similarities ended. By the blue light, they could see that while its body was humanoid, it bore the horned head of a bull, with two misshapen twisted horns curving at odd angles from the sides.

At the moment, the bull was hunched over next to a car by the side of the road. Periodically, it would reach into the crumpled front windshield and root around, luckily for them, it was currently facing away from Chie's group, so hadn't noticed the arrival of more lively fare.

Kanami squinted through her glasses, speaking in a hushed tone. "Whatever that thing is, I can smell it all the way over here."

"Is it… Eww, I think it's chewing on something," one of the least sober Office Ladies, Miwa, whispered in turn.

It had finally stopped digging around and illuminated by the light of the blue moon, it reared back to its full grotesque height. It was indeed tearing greedily into what could only be the ragged stump of a pale arm.

"I think, I think we need to go a different way," the manager stuttered, backing up into the midst of the girls. "Come on. Let's get out of here before that thing realizes we're here."

Almost as one, they backed up several paces, not willing to take their eyes off the chilling sight, which caused Miwa to trip backwards off the sidewalk curb and land hard on her rear in the street. "Ow! Shit! I think I broke something…" Her eyes swelled with unshed tears and fright as she realized just how loud she'd cried out. "Please tell me it didn't hear that," she whimpered, looking up at the other girls whose attention hadn't wavered from the beast.

A loud gurgling roar cut the night air. Miwa turned her head, and found the thing's blood flecked muzzle was frothing with spittle and gore as it focused on the group. But, she felt like it had singled her out with its terribly hungry stare. The thing huffed out a cloud of frozen breath and flexed its hands, invariably dropping the gnawed limb in favor of fresh meat.

"A-Ah, it's going to kill me!" Miwa scrambled to her feet before anyone else had even moved a muscle. She pushed past her stunned co-workers and started running back the way they'd come.

That got the other's attention, and they too turned to get away from the approaching ox-head.

As they ran, Chie didn't have to glance back to know they were being chased. The thing barreling down the street after them roared and thundered on the asphalt as it came on. God, it sounded like it was right on their heels. She swore, if she even so much as felt a hint of its breath on her neck she was going to start screaming, and probably not be able to stop.

Ahead of them, Miwa was steadily pulling away. Fear had lent the plastered girl wings. Chie lost sight of her when she suddenly turned the corner one block away. The monster sounded like it was gaining on them to boot. _If that thing gets us because of that clumsy little bitch_, Chie swore internally, vaguely aware of the hypocrisy of the idea. It could as easily have been her fault. Idly she noted that some of the girls appeared to be running barefoot, having either lost or ditched their pumps and high-heels in the heat of the moment.

For such a large and hungry creature, it hadn't followed the group for very long. They eventually lost it, or it was distracted and gave up for an easier meal. Either way, after running a block and a half, the heavy footfalls had faded before ceasing altogether. Warily taking the chance to catch a breath, they all huddled together under an electronics store overhang.

"Did anyone see which way Miwa went," Nakaido asked, once she'd gotten some breath back into her burning lungs. She could feel her heart still doing its best to hammer out of her chest.

"No, I was too busy trying not to fall behind, Miss Track star," Kanami wheezed, resting her hands on her knees. She looked down at the ruined hose that a few of her toes poked through. "She's probably still running like her hair was on fire. I think she pissed herself, too."

"I'm surprised we all didn't. What the hell was that thing anyway?" Chie countered.

"I mean, I really think Miwa was so scared she wet herself. I could smell it when we passed the first block." Kanami wrinkled her nose.

Riho raised her hand for some reason, sticking it up in the air like a little kid. Kanami looked at her with an incredulous expression.

"What are you doing?"

"Um, maybe it wasn't Miwa," Riho lowered her hand self-consciously; shrinking in on herself at the sudden attention she'd drawn.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Jun scooted away from her friend.

"What?" Riho wondered why she was getting strange looks. Oh, that probably didn't sound too good. "No, it wasn't me, I was just saying, you know." Her voice almost disappeared she got so quiet, "maybe it wasn't Miwa that peed."

Kanami rolled her eyes and Jun relaxed again. Yamada was still huffing and puffing, unsurprisingly.

"Look, the sooner we find Miwa, the quicker we can get to the police and make some sense of this mess," Chie said.

"What are you talking about? We're all headed to the same place. She knows where to go. Besides, with the way she's running, she'll probably get there first anyway." Kanami rolled her eyes.

"What if there are more of those things out there? Look around, when have you ever seen Tokyo this quiet? And Miwa's not exactly in a right state of mind. If she gets hurt, it'd be our fault for not even trying to find her," Chie heated up as she pulled herself up to her full not so very impressive height, all 164 centimeters of it.

Yamada took the opportunity to cut in, "Ladies, now let's think about this."

Two glares cut him off before he could put in any more words edgewise or not. The little man deflated much like Riho had.

Riho and Jun sat down on the store's windowsill, not wanting to get involved one way or the other. Besides the two in the argument both had much higher positions in Lightex, and it wasn't worth risking their jobs over.

Overhead, the sky gradually began to darken noticeably, which halted whatever Kanami had been about to say in retaliation.

"Look, the moon's going out," Riho said for them all.

Jun looked up, then back at the shorter girl, and then back up, "You've got to be kidding me. Is it supposed to do that? I mean it's not like a light bulb."

"Maybe it blew a moon fuse," Riho said helpfully.

"What are you talking about? Mush for brains. You probably did wet yourself, didn't you?"

Riho frowned, looking hurt. "I did not. See?" She started to lift her skirt when Jun stopped her. "Anyway, if you're so smart, then you tell us why it's getting all dark like that," Riho's curls bounced with the force that she jabbed a finger toward the dimming ball in the sky.

"Quit it you two, none of us know what the hell is going on right now, and I don't think it really matters at this point anyway. Let's get going while we can still see our hands in front of our faces," Kanami huffed.

"Are we going after Miwa?" Jun asked.

"I don't care. It's up to Nakaido-san after all."

Chie didn't like the way Kanami said her name, but chose to ignore it in favor of the current situation. They could go find Miwa now. But, the question was, where had the little drunkard gotten off to? She could be anywhere in the area.

* * *

The thin whip-like body of the dog lazily twisted around in the air just inside the mouth of the alley. It hadn't taken notice of them yet, but if they didn't hurry it would. Slowly, the little group backed up, with Yamada now leading the retreat. Chie wished he would go faster, and a little quieter. She fancied she could hear his wheezing all the way to where she was pressed against the storefront that bordered the alley.

Once they made it across to the far side of the street safely, she gave a quick shooing motion for them to keep going. Jun and Riho appeared to be having more trouble than the other two. Her eyes widened, Riho was supporting the heavier woman. Jun was clearly favoring her left side. When had she gotten hurt?

Around the corner, the dog-shaped thing suddenly snarled, and it darted forward further into the alley. Now was her chance, it was distracted. Drawing a deep breath, Chie prepared to run across the road just as a high-pitched scream rent the air. Her eyes widened, that thing was attacking someone!

On the other side of the road, she saw Yamada's group draw up short, probably wondering what to do. Her features fell in consternation. Those dog things didn't even look all that solid, who was to say they could even be hurt? But, if it was hurting someone, she couldn't just run away, could she?

The snarling grew fervent, and the scream renewed, making up Nakaido's mind for her. Frantically waving Yamada onward, she un-slung her bag and weighted it in her hand, it wasn't much. Maybe if she swung hard enough she might be able to at least stun it. Creeping up close to the corner, she risked a peek it the alley.

Chie gasped as soon as she saw what was happening. The beast was swirling around in the air, flowing down to snap its jaws at a little girl who'd wedged herself in between the wall and a large trash dumpster. Every time the monster came close the girl cried out. The woman couldn't tell for sure. It looked like the thing had gotten a few bites in already.

It was getting harder and harder to see in the fluctuating moonlight.

Clutching her bag tightly, she padded quietly into the alley, glad for the second time that night she'd traded in her high-heels.

The monster darted down at the girl unsuccessfully a few times before Chie felt she was close enough to take a swing. Pulling the handbag all the way back past her shoulder she twisted around as she'd been taught the few times Lightex had sprung for company trips to one of the local golf courses. It was the only sport she'd played, and the handle of her bag was just long enough to make it unwieldy otherwise.

Releasing a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, Chie waited until the beast coiled in on itself to attack again and swung with all her might. _Swing through, Swing through_, the words ran through her head, a mantra from the driving range.

The bag hit with enough force that the zipper broke, and the contents went flying, some hitting the wall and the rest skittering across the concrete.

Apparently the floating dog was even less sturdy than it let on at first, because her clean strike drove it right into the alley wall, where it hit with a whimper and flickered a few times before fading away completely.

Chie waited for a handful of seconds, but the beast didn't reappear. Praying it was over; she peeked into the corner that the girl had worked her way into, to find two bright brown eyes staring back at her. Chie smiled, in what she hoped was reassurance. At this point, it was getting harder to tell.

"Hey, it's okay now. It's gone. You don't have to hide back there anymore."

The girl made no sign she understood, instead fixing the older woman with a piercing gaze, one that no child had any right to. Chie held out her hand, but the girl pulled herself further backward, almost vanishing into the shadow of the dumpster. And then, she did.

"W-what?" Chie blinked, leaning forward, knowing she had to have imagined it. The girl probably managed to squeeze around the back is all. Nakaido dropped down to her hands and knees, peering underneath the large metal bin, but all she found was a few discarded soda cans and bits of other trash. Then something shiny caught her eye to the back corner of the bin. A ball?

It took some maneuvering but a few seconds later, Chie succeeded in forcing the bin away from the wall just enough to squeeze into the gap the girl had holed herself in.

Hesitantly she reached down behind the dumpster.

The strange little milky-white sphere was almost reminiscent of a pearl. That was if it hadn't been about the size of a mandarin orange. Hesitantly, she reached out, stretching her arm until her fingertips managed to brush the iridescent orb. Straining, she could almost get it. Her arm just wasn't long enough. Reach Nakaido, reach, she mentally prodded herself. Pushing up completely against the hole, her fingers scrabbled for the silky smooth surface of the jewel. So close!

Chie let herself relax for a moment before resuming her efforts. The thing was infuriatingly just out of her reach. What she needed was something to bring it closer. Pulling her arm back, she sat up and looked around at the mess from her handbag. Nothing looked long enough. She knew she had to have a pen, or a comb. Maybe everything hadn't fallen out. That was it! Grabbing up the discarded bag, she reached in and fished around for a pen. "Hah!" She pulled her hand out and realized she'd grabbed her eyeliner instead. The tube was cracked on one side, but wasn't leaking; better yet it was about the right length.

Soon she was cradling the orb in one hand, holding it up to find that where it touched her skin it glowed with a faint light. The ball wasn't nearly as hard as she expected, but it was surprisingly much lighter than it looked, and pleasantly warm. It pulsed faintly, throbbing to an oddly familiar beat.

Just what had happened to the little girl? Chie gave the orb a little experimental tap, but nothing happened. Not at first anyway.

However, the ball soon began to grow warmer, to the point where it was starting to become uncomfortable to hold. The heat continued unabated and Chie was forced to let go or get burned. To her surprise, the ball didn't crash to the ground. Rather it hovered in place where her hand had released it, bobbing faintly in the air, similar to the way the ghost dog had hung weightless.

Curiously, she watched it for some time, waiting for a further change, but the faintly glowing sphere just hung there, she could still feel the heat it radiated though. Unsure of herself, she reached out to prod it with the tip of the tube of eyeliner that she'd absently held onto in her other hand.

The second she poked it, the ball floated away, coming to rest in the air about a meter from her. It seemed to dim a little as the distance increased. She took a step forward to see if it would float further back, but instead it rocketed forward and smashed into her chest, hard enough to knock her backward off her feet.

And all she knew was pain. So horribly intense that she couldn't move, couldn't do anything to get away. Some part of her mind realized what was happening and refused to deal with it. It felt like every nerve in her being was on fire. Like something was boring right through the center of her chest, tearing through breast and bone. Gods, why was there so much blood!

Chie didn't stop screaming for a long time.

* * *

In an alley not far from the local police station, a certain intoxicated Office Lady peered out at the empty street from the shadows. There was no sign of that bull-headed monster, but she'd run across, or rather right past, several of its friends during her strategic retreat. Hell, even she knew it had been a panicked flight, but thinking of it as a retreat made here feel a little less like crap on someone's shoe.

Actually, the run had burned most of the inebriation right out of her, and she was likewise coming down from the adrenaline high. The fact of the matter was she'd left her friends behind and they could all be dead, or worse. Not that she knew what 'worse,' was exactly, but she imagined it had to do with being eaten alive or having one's bones used as toothpicks.

It was crazy. Now that she knew what to look for, she was starting to see freaky creepy-crawlies all over the place. Thankfully, she hadn't seen any more big ones like the bull, but there were tons of the tiny ones: gross, purplish skinny things with fat, round little bellies scurrying about, a pumpkin-headed thing with a cape, and more than a few floating ghouls. There was even a flying naked chick flitting down the sidewalk a few minutes ago. Not that the rest of the monsters weren't naked, she realized, after a fashion.

Gods, she just wanted to go home, go to sleep and wake up to a terrible hangover. Even that would be better than having to sneak around all night, wondering when the next beast was going to chase after you, slavering for the sweet marrow in your bones.

Miwa sighed internally. She could see the police station just down the street, but it looked just as hopeless as the rest of the buildings. She hoped that the others were alive, and that they'd get here soon. Just sitting around waiting to be eaten wasn't the highlight of her New Year.

"_Miwa_," the faintest of whispers caressed her neck, sliding up to brush through her hair.

The woman spun around, one hand rising up in a warding manner.

While the alley was still dark, the blue moon went a long way toward penetrating that gloom. It was empty to her eyes. But still. "Who's there?" Miwa kept her question low. She didn't want to risk drawing attention from the street, and really, she was pretty sure she didn't know anyone that would call her by name in this part of town. It might be close to the office, but these weren't her usual stomping grounds.

She waited a little longer, and just as she was about to attribute it to nerves and alcohol, it returned. Not a voice, so much as a really strong feeling, not unlike a case of déjà vu. Even that was lacking. The feeling that settled on Miwa wasn't her own, and she knew it, as if she'd put on someone else's clothes.

Like before, she could hear the words whispered in her ear, close and warm, but without the hint of breath that would have otherwise made the whole thing horribly uncomfortable. Instead, it only made her uneasy, instead of fearful.

"_You can't stay, Miwa. That is not a place for you. No friend can find you_."

"What are you saying? The police station is right across the street. I have to be here to meet them." Miwa frowned, still speaking mostly to herself.

"_Come, Miwa. The waters still flow warm, and I have been waiting long, Miwa_." There was an ache in the soothing voice at the last.

Miwa felt it as sure as if it were her own; a slow burn throughout, comfortable, like the brandy she favored on rare occasions. There was a promise in those words, but of what, she didn't know. There was also safety, and that she valued most just then.

She made her decision at the approach of a heavy horrible tread past the mouth of the alley. Was it the Bull? The voice was right; it wasn't safe here for her if she stayed. No one would be able to find her if she was in some beast's belly. But, she could run. It was all she had left to her at the moment. Sudden fear burst up from her gut at the possibility of approaching demise.

"W-where do I go?" Miwa hissed frantically into the blue night. She had to hurry; it would surely smell her soon.

"Miwa…" the voice was stronger now, as if time and distance were of little consequence. It reverberated, throbbed and soon settled, becoming weighty. A persistence of longing that was as welcome as it was alien.

Seconds passed and nothing else was forthcoming, but Miwa wasn't left alone, and the heady feeling that had draped comfortably around her moments before began to surge up until she was almost drowning. And then, she was falling and her arms and legs were not her own. The harsh concrete of the alleyway 

rushed up to meet her, but her impromptu descent was cut short as she took an involuntary step forward on wooden legs, first one, then the other, as if she were still completely trashed. Wobbling slightly, she felt herself rest against the wall, before stumbling further into the depths of the alley, and away from the threat of teeth and claw.

* * *

The concrete and trash of the alley had long since disappeared, as had pervading ephemeral blue. The cracks and refuse had given way to ornate stonework with swirling patterns and intricate carvings that Miwa couldn't even begin to place. The path she walked was unlit by any visible light source, but strangely clear to her in her mind's eye; as if she'd been here countless times before. It was as familiar to her as traversing her own apartment in twilight to get another drink from the fridge. The place was comforting and there was a warm breeze flowing up from the ground, enough that she didn't mind her lost shoe, and had since tossed the other by the wayside.

She wasn't sure how long she walked, as the narrow walls continued to widen, and eventually fell way to columns covered with more of the thin swirls. She thought it was just a trick of the eye, but periodically ripples of pearlescent color would flow through the curves and bevels in the stonework.

At length, the office lady gave pause, thinking the gaps between the light flow was more regular than random, and watched as the flow pulsed with a slow but steady rhythm. The timing was too natural to be random, if she had to liken it to anything it would be most like…a subtle heartbeat. Moreover it was quietly comforting and somehow familiar. Nevertheless it wasn't hers; she could feel that much to be sure.

Still.

Miwa placed her palm against the stone; it was just as warm as the floor. And she could feel it, not right at first, but slowly and steadily the measured pulse of light gained in intensity, almost a raw physicality that flowed through the point of contact. It was an ache not unlike what she'd felt before, back in the alleyway. She stood that way for moments, only to pull away almost reluctantly before it became too much for her to take in. Besides, something told her to keep moving, that she needed to go deeper, and she would find the source of all this.

As she continued, the pulse grew steadily stronger, and she started to feel it resonating in the air around her without having to touch the columns. But, it no matter how much it rose, it was never overbearing. And soon, the columns too began to grow further and further apart, the space around her widening substantially from that which she'd first entered.

Up ahead, the trickling of water could be heard through the faint gloom, and a thin hazy mist began to cling to the base of the columns that were in her view. The air was thick with the beat of life and warm humidity. Soon, the tendrils of mist twined around her footsteps, tickling at her skin, brushing past and over and around. Miwa walked on, and eventually found the heart in what had to be the center of the place she'd been lead inexorably to.

The shape of that heart was a fountain unlike any she'd seen before, and perhaps would never see again. The swirls and columns of stone rose high above her, sprouting and diverging like a living thing; a tree of the finest white marble. From the highest heights that could scarcely be made out, water trickled and gushed, dropped and cascaded down in rivulets to pour into a gigantic basin that surrounded the fountain as far as Miwa could tell. But that wasn't what stilled her. Though the humbling size of the monument did give her pause, it was the realization that she was in the presence of something greater and far older than anything she'd ever encountered before.

"_I've been waiting for you, Miwa."_ A voice echoed from everywhere, and nowhere at once, it was feminine there was no denying, and carried with it a great benevolence. With each word, the pulse of life in the air increased, lending a solemn weight, and bringing the young woman to her knees.

"_Come, come to me Miwa, for there is much you must see, and know."_

Slowly, the young woman willed herself to stand. Before her the waters cascading heavily down the front of the fountain began to recede and a hollow in the stone foundation was revealed. From beyond the thin veil of water a faint light of the purest green gradually shone to guide her way.

As she prepared to descend into the grand basin the voice came subtly once more. _"The raiment of man flows not within these green waters, Miwa. Come as you were, to know and be known once more."_

Though the words gave her pause, she still took a moment to piece the archaic language together in her mildly intoxicated state. _Raiment of man, huh._ Miwa fingered a button on her blouse. Was she just told to take off her clothes? When no further instructions were forthcoming, she started undressing, and finally stepped out of a puddle of Moschino and Celine to make her way into the water. She found it _was_ warm, pleasantly so.

Miwa made her way to the path in the stone and hesitated. Why was she even doing this? A warm tingle in her chest reminded her that she might not have a choice, and with that she stepped through the archway and into the heart of the fountain.

Once she moved past the threshold suddenly it was as if Miwa had gone into yet another world completely. The walls grew transparent before fading away altogether and for as far as her eyes could see, there was nothing but placid green water. With each step she took, rings rippled across the now ankle deep surface to fade from view on the far horizon.

With a strange sense of detachment, she glanced over her shoulder, and sure enough, the arch she'd entered through had vanished as well. Yet, she wasn't the slightest bit afraid; in fact she felt quite the opposite. This wide place was comforting in its own way, like a home away from home that she'd returned to after a lifetime of journeying. "I'm home," she whispered out of ingrained habit.

"Welcome home, Miwa." The voice responded just as naturally. Unlike before, it no longer sounded the least bit distant. Now it surrounded her with the firm but loving sensation of a mother greeting her child. "Welcome home."

A/N: Added a few scenes to make the transition between chapters a little more coherent. Padded existing scenes that a few readers felt were too terse.


	3. Chapter Two part 1

All MegaTen references, and characters, are copyright Atlus. Ii Hito is copyright Shin Takahashi, published by Shogakukan. Sola is copyright Naoki Hisaya. Other characters are copyright their respective owners, to be mentioned as they may occur. A Six-string Samurai Fanfiction. "A Cry in the Dying Light"

_Though I would move the grave / my teary cry / was lost in the autumn wind._

_-Matsuo Bashō_

Episode Two – The Other Side of Love (part one)

_January 1__st__, 2001. Tokyo, Japan_

It was dark where she waited, left to dream a quiet dream. It was comfortable and warm, and most of all she wasn't lonely.

_Yorito._

Her face was wet; a faint taste of salt. Tears then. But, she wasn't lonely, because she could see it, Yorito's beautiful sky. It was her last precious thing.

So the girl continued to sleep, safe where no one could hurt.

Be hurt.

Hurt her, anymore.

And that's when the light came, so soft, a blue that she imagined her own sky to be.

Time passed, and the dream couldn't last. Words were spoken, and the blue was allowed to spread to the waking world. It was all too soon, yet some voices said it wasn't soon enough. Regardless, she woke; the blue was calling. Her new sky beckoned, so bright!

For the third time the last Calamity of Night could once again open her eyes. It was a beautiful sight.

Matsuri yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Mmhm, Yorito, it's too early to get up." The girl rolled over, pinching a good-sized clump of her long violet tresses beneath her arm. "Ow! I'm getting up. You don't have to pull my hair, Yorito!"

She sat up, tossing the covers aside, blinking her eyes at the bright light. "Huh," she squinted, puzzled. Things weren't quite adding up. Matsuri looked down at her 'bed,' which happened to be a park bench, and the 'blankets,' her hat and jacket. But that wasn't the problem. While her head was muddled, and it was hard to organize her thoughts, she knew one thing for certain in the core of her being. She could not be out in the sunlight. Had she been? Matsuri raised her dark eyes to the sky, and saw.

It was the blue from her dreams… a safe sky!

Where was Yorito? For some reason, all she could dredge up was a faint silhouette, thin and insubstantial, the dream of a dream. But, she couldn't find it in her to be sad. Gathering her coat and setting her hat just so on her head, she got up, dusting herself off. The blue star proved it. She didn't have to be alone anymore.

The girl's stomach chose that moment to announce its intentions to the world. Matsuri slumped, "So hungry..."

* * *

The youthful girl wandered the empty city streets, twirling her umbrella in the chilly night air. She didn't recognize any of the buildings, and there was no one around to ask for directions either. Not that she knew where she was headed. But, it might have been more convenient.

None of the stores she passed were open, and the one vending machine she'd happened upon had only served coffee. She didn't want coffee, she wanted juice, or soup. Maybe some noodles. Her hunger wasn't doing any wonders for her present mood, so it might be forgiven that she spoke sternly at the first people she finally ran into, literally.

She was rounding the corner of one of the skyscrapers, when she smacked right into someone, all but bowling the poor unfortunate over. Matsuri stumbled over the person she'd sent sprawling, almost impaling what turned out to be a petite young woman with the tip of her umbrella. She jumped back immediately, waving her arms. "Ah! I'm sorry!"

The short curly haired girl eventually righted herself, apparently just as contrite as she was, even if she still appeared a little distracted. Then Matsuri noticed the lady wasn't just by herself. There were four others trailing right behind her. They were all dressed up, but their clothes looked a bit rumpled. One of the women walked with a limp while the fourth was being carried between the tallest woman and a pudgy little man.

"Oh, oh! You have to help us! Miwa's lost, and the Manager was bleeding everywhere! And there was an arm," the woman Matsuri ran down had evidently gathered her wits enough to speak, but the violet haired girl couldn't make heads or tails of what she was saying.

"Ah," Matsuri shifted her umbrella from hand to hand.

The tallest woman cut in, apparently speaking to the curly haired one. "Riho! Shut up already. You aren't making any sense, as usual." The last was said under her breath, but Matsuri caught it just the same.

"Look, miss…"

"Shihou," Matsuri supplied.

"Yes, Miss Shihou. As you can probably tell, our friend here is badly hurt, and we could use some help getting her to a hospital, or whatever's closest." The tall brunette with her hair in a ponytail informed.

Matsuri took a closer look at the wounded woman. The front of her dress suit was in tatters, barely ample enough to cover her modestly. The remaining material was darkly stained, and the visible flesh beneath looked burned. At first she'd thought the woman was wearing a crumpled undergarment, but it was all charred flesh. "What happened?" concern filled the girl's voice.

"We…we're not sure," the ponytail swished as the woman looked away for the briefest of moments. "It doesn't matter. She needs medical attention."

"I'd like to help, if I can. But, I'm not too sure where we are at the moment. I, I got lost a little while ago."

The older women looked at each other, and seemed to come to a decision. As before the tall woman spoke for the rest, "There's a police station nearby, and we're supposed to meet one of our friends there. If you're lost, I'm sure the police can help you find your way." She paused, giving Matsuri and unreadable expression. "I don't know if you've seen anything weird around here, but it's not safe to be wandering around alone right now. We can all go to the station together, and everyone will be better off for it. Right?"

Matsuri crinkled her brow. She recalled more than a few times when the so called 'public defenders' had run her out of house and home, or chased her off just for trying to feed herself. But, the one lady really looked bad off, and Matsuri wasn't feeling like her old self just yet. Maybe she could get some food in return for helping the ladies get to the police station. It beat aimlessly wandering around, that was certain.

"Okay, but let's hurry, she looks pretty bad." Matsuri nodded to herself. Then realized what had been niggling at her since running into Curly. "Did you all forget your shoes?"

Riho looked down and wiggled her toes self-consciously. "Maybe the cow ate them."

Kanami made a strangled noise. "Riho, do us all a favor and don't talk from now on."

"But, it might be true Miss Kanami."

Matsuri gave up, leaning her umbrella across her shoulder. "We should really get going."

No one argued with that.

"Alright, I though you said you knew where the police station was?" Kanami asked Jun for the second time a little later, after they'd been walking for a bit.

"Yeah, I did, but I got all turned around when we started running. I haven't seen anything familiar for a while now. Remember, Riho and I live in Minato; Miss Manager was the one who knows the area around here best. Can't we stop and rest for a bit, my ankle is killing me. It feels like I sprained it." Jun stopped to get a better look at her foot. "Look, it's all swollen, I think it turned purple, but I can't tell in this damn blue light."

"Will you stop whining about your foot? Chie has a fucking hole in her chest, in case you forgot!" Kanami spat. She was tired and sore from walking barefoot, and the added weight of supporting her friend wasn't helping at all. Which reminded her, "Yamada, you're a man, so why the hell am I doing all the lifting?"

The pudgy salary man would've shrugged if he hadn't been hunched over with more than half of Miss Nakaido's dead weight already. Besides, it wasn't smart to say anything when the pony-tailed accountant was on one of her rants.

"Not a word, remember Riho?"

The curly headed woman started to nod, but spoke anyway. She didn't like it when Jun got yelled at for being hurt. "I don't think it looks that bad, Miss Kanami."

"What doesn't look that bad, Riho?"

"The hole in Miss Manager's chest. Look, her boob's not half gone like we thought," Riho pointed out the obvious once again.

"What are you tal-," Kanami twisted her head to look down at the mammary in question. "Holy shit. It _doesn't_ look that bad does it? Hey Jun, make yourself useful and hold her up so I can get a better look."

Jun grumbled and made a show of limping over, but did as Kanami asked.

Curious, Matsuri moved closer to see what they were talking about. She hadn't really had the chance to see the wound in the first place, and from the earlier discussion, hadn't been all that fired up to get a personal look at what sounded like ground meat.

Once Jun had taken up her position, Kanami swatted Yamada's face away. The fat pervert had certainly perked up at the mention of Chie's breasts.

Indeed, Riho's observation appeared to be correct. It really didn't look that serious, once you got close up. In fact, the burns seemed a lot less substantial. Kanami wasn't the greatest judge on wounds, but Chie's chest sported a few burn blisters, some bruising, and lacerations, but the gaping wound she'd expected to find was absent.

Actually, the dress was in worse shape than Chie herself. But then, where had the pool of blood they'd found her in come from? Was it all from the dog thing? It didn't make sense. And why was Chie still out cold?

That got Kanami riled up again. "Hey, Nakaido! Wake up! I'm not carrying your heavy ass all over town just so you can catch a little beauty sleep." Kanami was about to give the brunette a little 'wake me up' tap when Jun decided to cut in.

"It's great that she's not going to die on us anytime soon, but she's heavy, and my ankle is going to break if I have to keep this up much longer. But, I see what you mean about Yamada not pulling his share of the work. How do you ever get anything done at the office?"

"Hey!"

"Yamada, I don't want to hear it out of you. I have to see your fat face every day. I don't need to hear fat words come out of it too." Kanami dropped her hand and took the left side of Chie back from Jun.

Matsuri wondered if it was such a good idea to stick around with these people after all.

Riho decided to keep quiet just this once. She didn't want to get on Kanami's bad side, when the other woman's anger was getting stoked.

* * *

_The waking world was faint and far away from the mindscape of Nakaido Chie. She slept and dreamt of a less painful time; a time before monsters and track shoes… work and yearly bonuses… college degrees and high school diplomas. Even before playgrounds and yellow hats. She dreamed of her grandmother's house, and the days she spent there playing out in the sun all day, having the time of her young life in the fields and the forest with her best friend in the whole world._

_Chie smiled in recollection. She remembered the tiny stream they'd found in the woods, the one with the tadpoles and frogs the two of them liked to tease. And other times, when they'd play hide-and-seek, or just lie there out on the hilltop and stare at the passing clouds._

_Haru was her best friend in the whole world, how could she have forgotten? Besides, who else could say they had a fox as a playmate as a child? No one at the office, that was for sure._

_Chie sat in the grass at their favorite place, and waited for the fox to show. It had been a long time since the two had had a chance to meet and play. She couldn't wait. Overhead, the sun shone brightly down, just the right shade of blue._


	4. Chapter Two part 2

All MegaTen references, and characters, are copyright Atlus. Ii Hito is copyright Shin Takahashi, published by Shogakukan. Sola is copyright Naoki Hisaya. Other characters are copyright their respective owners, to be mentioned as they may occur. A Six-string Samurai Fanfiction. "A Cry in the Dying Light"

_Though I would move the grave / my teary cry / was lost in the autumn wind._

_-Matsuo Bashō_

Episode Two – The Other Side of Love (part 2)

_January 1__st__, 2001. Tokyo, Japan_

The concrete and trash of the alley had long since disappeared, as had pervading ephemeral blue. The cracks and refuse had given way to ornate stonework with swirling patterns and intricate carvings that Miwa couldn't even begin to place. The path she walked was unlit by any visible light source, but strangely clear to her in her mind's eye; as if she'd been here countless times before. It was as familiar to her as traversing her own apartment in twilight to get another drink from the fridge. The place was comforting and there was a warm breeze flowing up from the ground, enough that she didn't mind her lost shoe, and had since tossed the other by the wayside.

She wasn't sure how long she walked, as the narrow walls continued to widen, and eventually fell way to columns covered with more of the thin swirls. She thought it was just a trick of the eye, but periodically ripples of pearlescent color would flow through the curves and bevels in the stonework.

At length, the office lady gave pause, thinking the gaps between the light flow was more regular than random, and watched as the flow pulsed with a slow but steady rhythm. The timing was too natural to be random, if she had to liken it to anything it would be most like…a subtle heartbeat. Moreover it was quietly comforting and somehow familiar. Nevertheless it wasn't hers; she could feel that much to be sure.

Still.

Miwa placed her palm against the stone; it was just as warm as the floor. And she could feel it, not right at first, but slowly and steadily the measured pulse of light gained in intensity, almost a raw physicality that flowed through the point of contact. It was an ache not unlike what she'd felt before, back in the alleyway. She stood that way for moments, only to pull away almost reluctantly before it became too much for her to take in. Besides, something told her to keep moving, that she needed to go deeper, and she would find the source of all this.

As she continued, the pulse grew steadily stronger, and she started to feel it resonating in the air around her without having to touch the columns. But, it no matter how much it rose, it was never overbearing. And soon, the columns too began to grow further and further apart, the space around her widening substantially from that which she'd first entered.

Up ahead, the trickling of water could be heard through the faint gloom, and a thin hazy mist began to cling to the base of the columns that were in her view. The air was thick with the beat of life and warm humidity. Soon, the tendrils of mist twined around her footsteps, tickling at her skin, brushing past and over and around. Miwa walked on, and eventually found the heart in what had to be the center of the place she'd been lead inexorably to.

The shape of that heart was a fountain unlike any she'd seen before, and perhaps would never see again. The swirls and columns of stone rose high above her, sprouting and diverging like a living thing; a tree of the finest white marble. From the highest heights that could scarcely be made out, water trickled and gushed, dropped and cascaded down in rivulets to pour into a gigantic basin that surrounded the fountain as far as Miwa could tell. But that wasn't what stilled her. Though the humbling size of the monument did give her pause, it was the realization that she was in the presence of something greater and far older than anything she'd ever encountered before.

"_I've been waiting for you, Miwa."_ A voice echoed from everywhere, and nowhere at once, it was feminine there was no denying, and carried with it a great benevolence. With each word, the pulse of life in the air increased, lending a solemn weight, and bringing the young woman to her knees.

"_Come, come to me Miwa, for there is much you must see, and know."_

Slowly, the young woman willed herself to stand. Before her the waters cascading heavily down the front of the fountain began to recede and a hollow in the stone foundation was revealed. From beyond the thin veil of water a faint light of the purest green gradually shone to guide her way.

As she prepared to descend into the grand basin the voice came subtly once more. _"The raiment of man flows not within these green waters, Miwa. Come as you were, to know and be known once more."_

Though the words gave her pause, she still took a moment to piece the archaic language together in her mildly intoxicated state. _Raiment of man, huh._ Miwa fingered a button on her blouse. Was she just told to take off her clothes? When no further instructions were forthcoming, she started undressing, and finally stepped out of a puddle of Moschino and Celine to make her way into the water. She found it _was_ warm, pleasantly so.

Miwa made her way to the path in the stone and hesitated. Why was she even doing this? A warm tingle in her chest reminded her that she might not have a choice, and with that she stepped through the archway and into the heart of the fountain.

Once she moved past the threshold suddenly it was as if Miwa had gone into yet another world completely. The walls grew transparent before fading away altogether and for as far as her eyes could see, there was nothing but placid green water. With each step she took, rings rippled across the now ankle deep surface to fade from view on the far horizon.

With a strange sense of detachment, she glanced over her shoulder, and sure enough, the arch she'd entered through had vanished as well. Yet, she wasn't the slightest bit afraid; in fact she felt quite the opposite. This wide place was comforting in its own way, like a home away from home that she'd returned to after a lifetime of journeying. "I'm home," she whispered out of ingrained habit.

"Welcome home, Miwa." The voice responded just as naturally. Unlike before, it no longer sounded the least bit distant. Now it surrounded her with the firm but loving sensation of a mother greeting her child.


End file.
